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Laim Patent No. 79,554, dated July 7,1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESERVINGWOOD.

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vBe it known that '1, CHARLES M. CItIvissON, lof thc city and county-ofPhiladelphia, and the State of Pent sylvania', have discovered a new anduseful Improvement in Expelling-Ythe Moisture from Wood, or Seasoning'the same, and in Preserving Wood from Decay or Rot; and thatthe'lfollowing is afnll, clear, andexact descrip'- ltion thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thesepresents.` I x My improvement consists in the employment oi' air orother fixed gas, heatedto suchtemperatnre as may be found most suitablefor the purpose of volatilizing or of aiding in the volatilization ofcoal-tar, resin, or otheroleaginous or volatile substances, or oftransferring or carrying the vapors thus produced, or when produced byother means ci' volatilzation, into a chamber containing timber or'ii/ood, in order, by the action of the vapors on thev timber or wood,to expel the moisture from or season the same, and also preserve-thesame from decay or rot. I A

In the application of my improvement, I make use of certain devices, ofthe general construction and arrangement-shown in' theacccmpanyingdrawing.

The apparatus consists of a. blower or pump for propelling air or other`gas, as shown at B B B, Figures 1,

3, and 4, provided withan outlet-pipe connected with a coil or otherdevice, to which heat is applied, bymeans -oi which tho temperature ofthe gos passing through-it maybe increased or diminished at pleasure, soas to evolve the vaporldesircd. The inlet of theblower or pump may besoarranged that by a proper connection with the condenser, the air orgas, after passing through the apparatus, can be used 'again asfrequently es may be desired. To the outlet ofthe blower is connected aheater for giving to the airany desiredv temperature, shown at H H H.Two forms of such heaters are shown in the drawings--one, H, consistingof a coiliin Van i enclosed vessel, and one, H, consisting of aycylinder containing disks `of wire gauze.

This portion of the apparatus may be plncedseparately from the still, asat H, figs. 1, 3, 4, H', Figure 2;,

or combined with a still by passing the coil externally around aportionof the still, as at H" H", Figure 7.

Connected with the coil or other equivalent device, is a still orretort, for the reception ofthe coal-tar, resin, or other oleaginousmaterial to beyvolatilized. v A l This still may be of any convenientform, and should be so constructedas to be easily jllcd, heated, and

cleansed, and is connected by a suitable outlet to a chamber to bedescribed. The still and chamber should he' fitted with thermometersfor.ascertaining the temperature within them, Stills are shown at S, figs. 3and 4and in combination with a heating-coil at S. The still maybe'duplieated, as shown in figs. 3 and 4, foraltcrn'ate use, ifdesired.

The chamber for the reception of the materials to be submitted to theprocess desired should be constructed i -wit'h double walls, havingilues and chimneys so arranged that either hot or cold air can be madeto circulate in the `trolls, and thus regulate the temperature withinthe chamber, so as to maintain it at any desired point.` It is alsoprovided with a Adoor for the introduction of .the materials to beoperated upon, which door should be secured so tightly as to permit theintroduction 'of a bath of-liquid. This chamber is shown at R R, figs. 3and 4. l

A condenser and separator, (D and E, Figures '4 and 5,) of the usualform employed for the purpose of removing vapors Vfrom gases, .andseparating -the condensed liquids of different specific gravities fromeach other,

may be connected to the chamber above described, by means ol' which-themoisture evolved from material undergoing o. seasoning process, and theoils ox" other condensa-ble matters not absorbed or condensed within thechamber canhc eliminated and removed'froxn the conveying gas, andrecovered for use in future operations.

In cases where ex treme delicaey'oi` manipulation is required, sLthermometric regulator, of any convenient form, (Figui-cth) can beinserted in the series of apparatus (as is shown-at T, gs. 3 and 4,) forthe purpose of maintaining any iixod temperature'.

The Wood or timber, after being thus treated until thoroughly penetratedwith the vaporized products of the distillation carried over by the air,or other fixed gasfis removed. from the chamber, the chamber is againfilled with xvood or timber, and the same operation is repeated;

When it is desired onlyy to remove the moisture from the timber or woodfor the purpose of seasoning it, or

as preparatory to an antiseptic process, the air and vapors carried intothe chamber, as above mentioned, sh'ould be heated to a temperature ofabout '220 or 230 of Fahrenheit, and the wood or timber in the chambershould at the same Atime be heated to a temperature of about 213 ofFahrenheit. After maintaining these respective degrees of heat until themoisture is expelled from the wood or timber, the temperature of thetimber-or wood should, in cooling, be 'allowed to fall to ordinarytemperatures'much more rapidly than that of the ingoing vapors.L Y Y Theeffect of this will be, 'as I have found, to lessen very materially, ifnot wholly toprevent, the splitting or crackingl of the wood. 1

When the wood or timber is to'be saturated with the antiseptic vaporsabove mentioned, for thepnrpose of being preserved from rotor decay, thetemperature of the vapors should be about-360'to 380 of Fahrenheit, thewood or timber being, at thesame time, as above mentioned, heated to atemperature of about 213 of Fahrenheit, and afterthese respectivetemperature have been maintained as nearly' as vpossible until the woodor timber is suiciently saturated with the oils or liquids condensedfrom the vapersupon the surface of. the wood, the

temperature of the wood should be allowed to fall more rapidly than andin advance of that of thev ingoing vapors, .whereby the splitting orcracking of the wood is diminished, if not wh'olly prevented.l

' IWhere railroad-ties, piles, and' such like timbers are subjected tothe antiseptic or preservative treatment of oleagiuousvapors, as abovementioned, the temperature of the vapors should be raised to about 360or 380 of Fahrenheit, and the temperature of the wood should be alsogradually raised Ato about 340 Fahrenheit, maintaining thesame relativedierence Lp tf temperature,- as nearly as possible, until the )voed ortimber is satua hot bath of carbolic acid, petroleum-oils, paraiine, orother protecting substance should be introduced into rated witholeaginons vapors, and while thetimbers and vapors are at about thesedegreesriit heat respectively,

the wood-chamber, or the timbers, while hot, should beremoved from thechamber and plunged into such a bath,

and the timber'should be allowed to lremain in the bathuntil graduallycooled; oriwherei't is proposed to treat the wood or timber by 'anapplication of metallic or earthy solutions, such as are employed fortheir preservative qualities, the wood ortimber, and the oleaginousvapors should be respectivelyraised to the temperatures above mentioned,and maintainedthereat until the wood -or timber is saturated with thevapors as above mentioned,"

and then the woodl or timber may be treatedzwith a bath of suchmetallicor earthy solution as may be employed by the operator.

The mode of treatment and its application, as above mentioned, diminishthe tendency of the wood or timber to crack or split, promote rapidity,uniformity, and certainty of action andmanipulation; `and the more freeand full diffusion of the vapors employed,enable the operator moreeeetually to remove themoisture and substitute the vapor, andl shortenvery materially the length of time during which the wood or timber to bepreserved is exposed to the injurious effects of the alkaline productsof the oils of tar at temperatures above 300 of Fahrenheit.

Having thusdescribed the-nature and operation of my improvement, what Iclaim as newtheren, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

lhe employment of heated'air'or -othe heated fixed gas, for the purposeotrvol'atilzing or assisting in the volatilization 0E coal-tar,-resin,'or other oleaginous or volatile substances, or of carrying-ortransferring the vapors of eoal-tar, resin, or other olea'gnousorvvolatile substances, when thus or otherwise produced, to a chamber orreceptacle, i'n order to be used therein in expelling the moisture fromtimber or wood, or seasoning the same, vor in saturating the same withvapors as a preservative against decay or-rot, substantially in themanner' ul and for the purposes above set forth. V v V I also claim theseasoning orpreparatory treatment of woo'd or timber by the method abovedescribed, in which the temperature ofthe vapors is elevated tofapointabove the temperature of the chamber containing the wood or timber, andthe temperature of the wood or timber'is, in'coolng, allowed' to fallmore rapidly than that of the vapours, substantially in the manner andfor the purposeshereinabove mentioned.

I also cla-im the treatment otvrailroad-ties, piles, and 'other timbers,by vapors, as above mentioned, in com bination with the subsequentapplication of a hot bath of carbolic acid, or otfvpetroleum-oils, or ofparailne or other protecting substance, or as a preparatory treatmentfor the application of 4inc tallic'or earthy solutions,

esubstantially in the manner above described.

I also claim the arrangement and combination of the coil,distllingvesseh and wood-chamber above mentioned, the whole beingconstructed and operating substantially in the manner and` for thepurposes aforesaid.

In testimony whereof', I havesigned my name to' this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES M. CRESSON. Witnesses:

J om: 4Wnlrn, WM. ALBERr. STEEL.

